Upgrade Your Peer Leader Program
Transcript of Upgrade Your Peer Leader Program
Upgrade Your Peer Leader Program by Creating High-Impact and Transformative ExperiencesBryce Bunting, Brigham Young University
Tricia Kennedy, University of South CarolinaDallin George Young, National Resource Center
for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition
Becoming Acquainted
• Brief intros at tables– Name – Institution– Role– How are you currently using Peer Leaders?– What do you hope to gain from this session?
Goals for the Workshop1. Briefly introduce key research on Peer Leadership2. Explore peer leadership as a High-Impact Practice3. Identify the characteristics of high-impact and
transformative PL experiences.4. Discuss reflection as a pathway to a high-impact
and transformative PL experience5. Work collaboratively to develop strategies for
improving the high-impact & transformative potential of PL experiences on our campuses.
Outline for the Session
• Benefits of Peer Leadership• Peer Leadership as a High-Impact Practice• Designing High-Impact and Transformative
Peer Leadership Experience• Reflection as a Pathway to a High Impact
and Transformative Peer Leadership Experience
• Synthesis, Reflection, and Action
Defining Peer Leadership“Studentswhohavebeenselectedandtrainedtooffereducationalservicestotheirpeers.Theseservicesareintentionallydesignedtoassistintheadjustment,satisfaction,andpersistenceofstudentstowardattainmentoftheireducationalgoals,Studentsperformingin[these]paraprofessionalrolesareusuallycompensated insomemannerfortheirservicesandaresupervisedbyqualifiedprofessionals.”
(Ender&Newton,2000;Newton&Ender,2010)
Defining Peer Leadership“PeerLeader”asacomprehensivedescriptor
– StudentAmbassadors– OrientationLeaders– ResidentAdvisors– PeerMentors– PeerCounselors– PeerAcademicAdvisors– PeerEducators(Tutors,SILeaders,etc)
(Cuseo,2010)
DINOSAUR 43
FOSSIL 21
SHELLS 12
JARASSIC 13
EONS 5
PERIOD 3
5) X X X X X X
4) X X X X X X
3) X X X X X X
2) X X X X X X
1) X X X X X X
6) X X X X X X
Leadership skills
Interpersonal skills
Teamwork skills
Diverse perspectives
Giving back to university
Making friends
BACK
Top Benefits of Peer Leadership
Benefits of Peer Leadership
TableDiscussion:
Whatbenefitshaveyouobservedorheardfromthepeerleaders
onyourcampus?
Benefits of Peer Leadership
“Thestudent’speergroupisthesinglemostpotentsourceofinfluence ongrowthanddevelopmentduring
theundergraduateyears.”(Astin,1993)
Benefits of Peer LeadershipPeershaveasignificantandprofoundimpactontheundergraduateexperience:
– Intellectualdevelopment– AcademicEngagement– MoralDevelopment– ClarificationofPoliticalandSocialValues– DeterminationofAcademicandSocialSelf-Concept– InterpersonalSkills– CriticalThinkingSkills– PositiveGainsinWritingandReadingComprehension
(Greenfield,Keup,&Gardner,2013;Pascarella &Terenzini,2005;Skipper,2005)
Definition of High-Impact Practices• “Teaching and learning practices that have
been widely tested and have been shown to be beneficial for college students from many backgrounds. These practices take many different forms, depending upon learner characteristics and on institutional priorities and contexts. [HIPs are] practices that educational research suggests increase rates of retention and student engagement.”
(Kuh, 2010)
10 High-Impact PracticesqFirst-Year Seminars
and ExperiencesqCommon Intellectual
ExperiencesqLearning
CommunitiesqWriting-Intensive
CoursesqCollaborative
Assignments & Projects
qUndergraduate Research
qDiversity/Global Learning
qService Learning, Community-Based Learning
q InternshipsqCapstone Courses
and Projects
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
PP
High-Impact Practices
qFirst-Year Seminars & Experiences
qCommon Intellectual Experiences
qLearning CommunitiesqWriting-Intensive
CoursesqCollaborative
Assignments & Projectsq Internships
qUndergraduate Research
qDiversity/Global Learning
qService Learning, Community-Based Learning
qCapstone Courses & Projects
q Peer Leadership?
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Characteristics of High-Impact Practices
• Creates an investment of time and energy• Includes interaction with faculty and peers
about substantive matters• Real-world applications• High expectations• Includes frequent feedback• Exposure to diverse perspectives• Demands reflection and integrated learning• Demonstration of competence/Accountability
(Kuh & O’Donnell, 2013)
Results from 2013 National Survey of Peer Leaders
• Investment of Time and Energy– Total # of peer leader experiences– Time spent performing peer leader responsibilities
• High Expectations– Training
• Reflection and Integrated Learning/Frequent Feedback– Ongoing formal training
• Exposure to Diverse Perspectives– Interactions with people from different backgrounds
• Real-World Applications– Skill Development and Employability Outcomes
Investment of Time and Energy
Evidence of Engagement• Half of all peer leaders
have held 2-4 total PL positions
• Nearly half of all peer leaders spend 6-15 hours per week on PL duties
Over-Engagement?
• 1 in 10 have held 8 or more PL positions
• 17% reported spending 20 hours or more per week.
• Slightly more than 5% spend 30 or more hours per week.
High ExpectationsCommunicating Expectations through Training
• 85% of peer leaders received some training for their peer leader positions
• 4.5 in 10 reported training for one or more PL experience lasted one week or longer
Expectations Unclear – Little or no Training• 15% of peer leaders did
not receive formal training for their positions
• 6 in 10 reported training for one or more PL experience was 2 days or shorter
Reflection and Integrated Learning/Frequent Feedback
38.5
61.2
47.8
7.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Retreat Staff meetings
Meetings with
supervisor
Other
Perc
enta
ge o
f Res
pond
ents
What type of additional ongoing formal training did you receive?
(n = 2,303)
68.8
28.8
2.4
Did you receive any additional ongoing formal
training after the initial training? (n = 3,353)
Yes No I don't know
ofPeerLeadersreportedincreased:• Interactionwith• Understandingofpeoplefrombackgroundsdifferentfromtheirown
Over 70%
ExposuretoDiversePerspectives
• Leadership• Interpersonalcommunication
• Teamwork• Timemanagement• Projectmanagement• Organization
ofPeerLeadersreportedincreased skillsin:
Over80%
Over70%ofPeerLeadersreportedincreased skillsin:
Real-WorldApplication
ofPeerLeadersreportedincreasedemployabilityoutcomes:
• Buildingprofessionalrelationships
• Applyingknowledgetoareal-worldsetting
• Bringingtogetherinformationfromdifferentplaces
Over70%
Real-WorldApplication
High-Impact Practices
qFirst-Year Seminars & Experiences
qCommon Intellectual Experiences
qLearning CommunitiesqWriting-Intensive
CoursesqCollaborative
Assignments & Projectsq Internships
qUndergraduate Research
qDiversity/Global Learning
qService Learning, Community-Based Learning
qCapstone Courses & Projects
q Peer Leadership?
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P P
In their own words . . .
“When I became a peer mentor, my whole academic focus changed. . . . This was a very influential turning point for me. . . . I was able to become the
type of learner that every college student has the responsibility to be.”
[Jennifer](Bunting, 2012, p. 67)
Table Discussion: What does Transformative Learning look like?
#1 Quick Write (1 min): Jot down a few notes about a transformative learning experience you’ve had.
*What made it so impactful?
#2 Discuss at Tables (5 minutes):• What are the elements of a transformative
learning experience?
A Framework for high-impact and transformative PL experience
Purposeful everyday practices
Challenge & Unfamiliarity
Integration of theory & practice
Reflection on Experience
Being part of a “community of practice”
#1 Purposeful “everyday” practices
Routines, habits, practices that, over time, contribute to transformative learning.
• Simple, consistent training exercises• Regular documentation of student contact• Meaningful administrative work (e.g. Answering
incoming student phone calls)
e.g. practice exercise of the day/week; weekly reports; outbound calls to incoming first-year students
#2 Challenge & Unfamiliarity
Growth-promoting or disorienting experiences that . . .
• challenge PLs perspectives• invite the adoption of new practices• introduce new ways of thinking• confront PLs with unfamiliarity or ambiguity
e.g. senior peer leader positions; readings that challenge assumptions; interactions w/ difficult students
#2 Challenge & Unfamiliarity
“Peer leadership asked me to do scary things. . . . I answered the phone in the office for the first time. I sought out a professor who hadn’t answered my
emails. I spoke in front of a group of 50 people for the first time. Now I know how
to stare down fear in the face. Sometimes it still wins, but mostly I do.”
(Robyn)
#3 Integration of Theory & Practice
Intentionally designed interventions or experiences that . . .
• make theory concrete and “visible”• invite PLs to connect theory & practice• provide opportunities for application of theory
e.g. case studies; reflective writing; opportunities for senior PLs to design training for new PLs
#3 Integration of Theory & Practice
“The readings about general education really changed me. There were things in my life outside of peer leadership that the
readings applied to and having all of these things going on outside, and
then in my peer leadership at the same time, changed me to have a better
understanding of what a leader is . . . and what an education really means.”
(Amelia)
#4 Reflection on Experience
Regular opportunities to reflect on the impact and meaning of peer leadership experiences
• Solidifies and clarifies learning• Facilitates meaning-making• Provides motivation and direction for future learning
e.g. journaling; observation of senior PLs; self-evaluation of recorded simulations; reflective dialogue w/ others
#4 Reflection on Experience
“Reflection is all about connections –connections to things we’ve learned,
connections to emotions, and connections to experiences. That’s why we write reflections—so that we can connect the leadership experiences
we have to the things in our life –because we realize that leadership will
always be a part of our life.” (Kat)
#5 A “community of practice” (Wenger, 1998)
A community that • provides support & safety• challenges PLs to stretch & become• structures & guides learning• provides models of effective leadership
e.g. peer leader “teams”; one-on-one meetings with faculty/staff supervisor; peer leader seminars
#5 A “community of practice” (Wenger, 1998)
“Breck would constantly ask me ‘What do you think would happen if you did that?’ I loved that—I hated it, but I loved it at the
same time because it helped me so much in my teaching and my career
because you don’t always have someone to tell you what to do. It’s nice to have someone that trusts you and who
gives you feedback, but lets you try things.” (Kat)
Designing High-Impact Learning Environments
TransformativeElement
Examples
#1 Meaningful “Everydayness”
• Daily/Weekly training routines• Regular documentation of student interactions• Weekly reports on work • Outbound/Inbound phone calls w/ first-year students
#2 Challenge & Unfamiliarity
• Opportunities to engage resistant/apathetic students• Projects/assignments that facilitate development of new
knowledge, skill, etc.• Readings that introduce challenging or unsettling ideas• Interactions w/ supervisors that “challenge” & invite
growth • Senior peer leader opportunities
Designing High-Impact Learning Environments
TransformativeElement
Examples
#3 Integration of Theory & Practice
• Case studies• Reflection on how theory connects to and informs
practice• Opportunities for senior PLs to design new PL training
#4 Reflection • Written reflection (e.g. journaling)• Reflective discourse with peers/supervisors• Observation of senior PLs
#5 Community of Practice
• Physical space that invites sharing of best practices, Qs, problems
• Regular “community meetings” • Support & mentoring from other PLs/Supervisors• Senior peer leadership opportunities
Designing High-Impact Learning Environments
Purposeful everyday practices
Challenge & Unfamiliarity
Integration of theory & practice
Reflection on Experience
Being part of a “community of practice”
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (1984)
Concrete Experience
Reflective Observation
Abstract Conceptualization
Active Experimentation
“Teaching Around the Circle”
Let’s Practice…
Purposeful everyday practices
Challenge & unfamiliarity
Integration of theory & practice
Reflection on experience
Being part of a “community of practice”
Sample Reflection Structures• Concentric
Circles• Sentence Stems• Free Association• Journals• Quotes
Reed and Koliba. Facilitating Reflection: A Manual for Leaders and Educators. https://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/reflection_manual/Sloane. Reflection Activities: Tried and True Teaching Methods to Enhance Students’ Service-Learning Experience.
• Graffiti• Bumper Sticker• Think, Pair,
Share• Photo
Reflections
High Impact Peer Leadership
“While promising, they are not a panacea. Only when they are implemented well and continually evaluated…will we realize their
considerable potential.”
- Kuh in Brownell & Swaner, 2010
Stop. Collaborate. Listen.
• What are the benefits you would like your PLs to have as a result of engaging in your program?
• When have you seen the PL experience have a transformative impact upon PLs on your campus?
• How do you know that students have gained those benefits?
Stop. Collaborate. Listen.
• What characteristics of HIPs could you leverage at your institution to provide a more impactful PL experience?
• What elements of the transformative PL experience framework could you adapt and apply to your work with PLs?
Designing High-Impact Learning Environments
Are you providing experiences that . . .R include meaningful everyday (or regular) practices?R leverage challenge & unfamiliarity?R integrate theory & practice?R offer frequent opportunities for reflection?R involve PLs in a supportive community of practice?
Action Steps
• Write down 3 action steps that you are considering for your Peer Leadership program
• Review the sessions at the conference and identify those that appear to align with your action steps.
• (plan on attending those sessions…)